Bumper for track suspension of a tracklaying vehicle

Abstract

A bumper for a suspension of a tracklaying vehicle has a first plate formed with a throughgoing hole through which engages one longitudinal end of a bolt. The other longitudinal end of this bolt is screwed into a second plate that is therefore held at a maximum spacing from the first plate. A helical compression spring having in unstressed condition an overall length greater by a predetermined distance than this maximum spacing is braced in compressed condition between the plates. Two telescoping sleeves, one fixed to each of the plates, coaxially surrounds the rod and have free ends extending past each other. Each of these ends has a respective abutment and these two abutments are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the difference between the length of the spring in the compressed and uncompressed condition. Thus should this rod break the two abutments will engage each other and prevent the first plate from being violently ejected.

We claim: 
     
       1. A bumper for a track suspension of a tracklaying vehicle, said bumper comprising: a first plate having a throughgoing hole;   an elongated rod extending through said hole and having one longitudinal end to one longitudinal side of said first plate and another longitudinal end having a wide part to the other longitudinal side of said hole;   a second plate secured to said one longitudinal end of said rod and spaced by a predetermined distance from said first plate, said second plate being longitudinally displaceable with said rod toward said first plate;   a helical compression spring having in unstressed condition an overall length greater by a predetermined difference than said predetermined distance and braced in compressed condition between said plates;   an inner sleeve fixed to one of said plates, surrounding said rod, extending longitudinally from said one plate toward the other plate, and carrying an inner abutment; and   an outer sleeve fixed to said other plate, surrounding said rod and at least a portion of said inner sleeve, extending longitudinally from said other plate toward said one plate, and carrying an outer abutment between said inner abutment and said one plate and spaced by a predetermined spacing at least as large as said predetermined difference from said inner abutment, whereby on failure of said rod and extension of said spring said abutments will only engage each other when said spring is substantially fully expanded.   
     
     
       2. The bumper defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeves coaxially surround said rod. 
     
     
       3. The bumper defined in claim 2 wherein said first plate includes a mounting member forming a compartment around said wide part. 
     
     
       4. The bumper defined in claim 3 wherein said one plate is said first plate. 
     
     
       5. The bumper defined in claim 2 wherein said wide part is a head on said rod. 
     
     
       6. The bumper defined in claim 2 wherein said one longitudinal end is threaded and said second plate has a threaded bore receiving said one longitudinal end. 
     
     
       7. The bumper defined in claim 6 wherein said one longitudinal end is threaded into said bore by a distance at least equal to said predetermined difference, whereby said second plate can be threaded onto said rod with said spring between said plates in unstressed condition. 
     
     
       8. The bumper defined in claim 2 wherein said inner sleeve has an inner end and said outer sleeve has an outer end, said inner end lying between said outer end and said other plate, said inner abutment being an outwardly projecting collar on said inner end and said outer abutment being an inwardly projecting collar on said outer end and longitudinally engageable with said inner abutment. 
     
     
       9. The bumper defined in claim 2 wherein at least one of said plates has a longitudinally extending threaded projection threaded into the respective sleeve. 
     
     
       10. The bumper defined in claim 9 wherein said other plate has said projection and is said second plate.